Beer: Reviews & Ratings

L:-pours a hazy amber with a big,foamy,white head-low to medium carbonation visibleS:-banana,coriander,caramel,toffee,honey,slight lemonyT:-Follows the nose plus tons of residual sugar-sweetness is off the charts,almost undrinkableF:-high carbonation-boozy like most Van Steenberge Beers-full bodyO:Certainly more a Tripel than a Quad.It's a good Beer but the ridiculously high sweetness will probably keep me from buying this again. (447 characters)

Have had this since early October, so, considering it's an import and had been for sale for a while, I imagine it's well over a year old by now. Kept it stored in a fairly cool, dark place, so I believe it's aged like it was supposed to.

My first quadrupel. Poured into nice spherical goblet. Appears a round, amber ball of semi-opaque liquid with concentric copper sphere of haze residing within, topped with lemon-white medium-bubbled, medium-retaining head, but finer and fluffier where air has begun to dry its surface. Smells bready in the bottle and on first pour. Once it has escaped and aerated, there's a little spice as well as strong fruit aromas (pears, all manner of berries, plums), hard to separate from the alcohol. As this beer sits waiting for me to find the right words for this review, it takes on balsamic/banana notes that I suspect wouldn't have been found within the first few months of this ale's bottling. At long last, on to the tasting: Faint caramel up front increasing to nearly molasses, until overtaken by "brown spirit" flavors. Dark fruits throughout, slightly stronger and brandy-like as it lingers and carbonation dies down. Beyond the dominant alcohol sensations on either side of the swallow, it's a bit yeasty/spicy in the finish and I'd call it "fishy" (bread and caramel make a comeback here as well) in the retro-olfaction, though neither is unpleasant. No hops to really speak of at any point. Sweeter than I like in a beer, but the complexity of flavors involved mitigates this. It's a full, boozy, and rich Belgian brew. High level of fine carbonation, slightly prickly all the way down. Extremely warming everywhere on the palate. Not dry, but more so than expected, even after several sips. (1,738 characters)

First review so bear with me. I am a fan of Belgium style tripels and quads, so this one appealed to me. Had it at Yard House on draft. The fig/raisin flavor was up front, the high alcohol rode the caboose. A very rich and round beer. I was able to taste it side by side with Allagash Curiex, another personal favorite. Both paired well with "big" full flavored foods, truffle oil French fries, poke and tacos. I would not pair this beer with spicy foods or a steak. Very drinkable, even with the high ABV. (514 characters)

This was a pleasant surprise. I like the original (the dark triple) and it's one of my highest rated beers, but this is surprisingly light after just finishing a Paulaner Salvator. I was expecting a dark heavy beer (like the triple) and instead it's a bright amber (in comparison) and just the perfect body after a fairly heavy and malty doppel. The alcohol is hardly noticeable in the flavor profile and if it weren't for the fact that it's a little pricey and it has an over 10% abv, this would be a beer that you could drink more than one of easily. (555 characters)

- lighter hue than most quads but a red brown hue with a lighter color head- smell is more wine than most a lot of red grapes and some sweetness- taste starts with more red grapes turns to dark fruit then yeast aftertaste- feel is a little syrup feeling to me also really fizzy- overall a good quad but have had better (323 characters)

Got this on tap at Cafe Bruges in Carlisle, PA, when I dropped my kid off at college. Whoda thunk? I was pretty amazed at the flavor, dried fruit like raisins and prune, good malt and very yeasty but very little hops. Very high alcohol percentage but it doesn't show up so much in the flavor, more a warmth as it goes down your throat. It pours a light brown, lighter than the Gulden Draak dark triple. Carbonation is good, not too much, small bubbles like a good champagne and it has a very rich mouth feel. I like it better than the dark triple; possibly the best beer I've ever tasted. I wonder if it would be as good in bottles and I wish I could find it in stores. The dark triple is now available in Wegman's but not not the 9000. (744 characters)

Ligher in color than most quads. Really nice yeasty spice on the nose. Taste is great and balanced. Warming finish. Very creamy full bodied feel. A really nice quad. Nothing wrong here. Glad its easy to find this one. (223 characters)

You'd think Gulden Draak had been making this quad for ages instead of just 3 years or so. Poured a one finger white head over an amber body into a 25 cl La Trappe chalice from a corked and caged 750 ml bottle. Light, musty fruit smell. Tastes of toffee and tobacco, with a subtle fruit sweetness, and a unique ginger ale type undercurrent. Absolutely spectacular effervescent, mouth-puffing mouthfeel, a leader in the style, right up there with St. B abt 12. Gulden Draak may be late to the quad party, but they nailed it. (523 characters)

A: Bronze, clear, one and a half finger head, good retention with lots of lacingclinging to the side of the glass.

S: Fruity, boozy esters, some cherry.

T: Hits you with the trademark Van Steenberge yeasty fruity sweetness, followed up with a hard hitting boozy kick, strong notes of brandy.

M: Minimal carbonation, heavy chewy texture, the booze made it burn.

O: Basically this was brandy thinned out with water, a really heavy sipping beer, the booze took away attention from anything else, slightly disappointing offering from one of my favorite breweries, I hope age can mellow this beer. (666 characters)

Look: poured with fluffy, quickly-dissipating head. deep golden to amber color. for some reason, i remember the color of GD of being pitch black.Smell: apple juice, some pears Taste: like a dry apple-pear juice, bit of grape juice, with a hint of alcohol warmth aftwards. may be a hint of vanilla. very subtle herbal touch at the very end. seem very simple.Feel: finishes very dry. very drinkable. Overall: i had a expectation of complex beer, but this was very simple beer. not too bad. (503 characters)

Taste - Starts with sweet and peppery malts, lots of alcohol warming, follows the nose with lots of estery ripe fruit notes, mostly dark fruit like fig, with a bit of banana. Ends with a bit of spice and a medicinal flavor, with a sweet fleeting flavor of thick caramel right at the end.

Mouthfeel - Medium to heavy in the mouth and carbonated enough to combine noticeably with the flavors.

Overall - A flavorful Belgian Quad/dessert beer. Have had this both aged and fresh and like it equally both ways. Not your everyday Belgian quad in appearance or flavor. Has some flavor similarities to more traditional quads like St. Bernardus Abt 12 or Trappist Rochefort 10 but has an interesting and welcome twist on the style. Not my favorite quad but still very drinkable. (1,042 characters)

Hazy golden-amber colour, with a normal head that leaves some lace and a ring. Smell is very alcoholic, with dark fruits, ripened fruits, vanilla and spices. Medium body, creamy and sticky palate. Taste is the same as smell: alcohol notices a lot, dark fruits, spices... Really good. (283 characters)

Appearance: Pours a vaguely murky copper color. The head is three fingers high, and off-white in shade. It doesn't seem to have the intense fizz of other Belgian ales, in fact it's texture is almost creamy-looking. Retention is about average. Plenty of lacing is left on the glass, though. Even if the body itself isn't brilliantly lustrous, it's still one of the better-looking Belgians out there. (4.25)

Smell: The nose starts off with incredibly vibrant fruit notes - mainly cherries, raisins, and figs. Letting it open up will cause it to develop a powerful spicy edge of ginger, while maintaining nice bread notes. As it opens up even further, it gains some caramel and candied sugar aromas. Judging from the nose, it smells like a big-ass brew, but one with an aura of restraint to it. (4.25)

Taste: It starts off bringing those big fruit notes from the aroma down to the palate - not only do I get dark fruits like fig and raisin, but I also get some nice citrusy flavors (invoking Duvel). The finish is slightly caramel-esque and sugary, but it doesn't linger cloyingly by any stretch. It doesn't taste like a stereotypical BSDA, instead it takes elements from both light and dark. What makes this work so wonderfully is how it balanced everything is - it isn't endlessly deep, nor does it need to be. (4.25)

Mouthfeel: Typical of the style, the 'bigness' of the brew is counteracted by fizzy, mouth filling carbonation. The finish is still a bit heavy, but not ridiculously so. Considering how flawlessly the alcohol is concealed, I don't care. Is this a 6% beer? Could have fooled me... (4.5)

Overall: I'm not sure which Gulden Draak is superior: the regular "dark tripel" or this. I'd personally say this is a little more drinkable, though regular GD has a bit more depth.

Bottle (01JM) - having in side-by-side with Piraat and Gulden Draak (reg), 2nd being reviewed:

Pours a deep orange-golden, definitely deeper and darker than the Piraat I had it next to. The head was again amazing, as I am getting used to from this brewery. Larger initial bubble head is hard to control in the pour, but reduces to a nice fluffy head that lasts and provides lacing on the glass (to keep the comparison, it was less than the Piraat in this pour). The nose was similar to Piraat, with caramel sweetness and a hint of classic Belgian notes, but was also weaker in strength. Add in some fig notes (or date when combined with the malt) as a difference.

The taste is overall more sweet. Where Piraat threw in some saison-like flavors, this one stays sweeter much longer. Sweetness pervades the entire taste, pairing with the dark fruit flavors. I may be searching but there is a hint of orange zest/rind in what little bittering flavors exist. The one good thing to be said for this beer is that it feels great, the sweetness coats the mouth nicely, the carbonation is present, but only acts as an accent. The body is medium-full, and the overall feel is like a beer embracing your palate for a second or two.

Definitely a bit better than the Piraat, but to me more of a beer to have near the end of the night, not because of its strength, but its feel. If not the final beer of the night, have it as a gateway to a nice smooth stout. (1,457 characters)

Different from the archetype of the traditional Belgian Quad, this baby pours a peachy amber and burnt orange with a fair amount of bubbles creeping to the surface. Not brilliant but definitely not opaque. A nice cream lacing after each sip. On the nose, lots of fruits: pear, peach, tangerine as well as other citrus in addition to the exceptional yeasty breadiness as well as some carmelly toffee. Taste is excellent. Think triple hefeweizen (as pertaining to the triple IPA usage) if that style existed. The belgian yeast is at the forefront here dominating the palate. Pretty much mirrors the aroma with the addition of banana, clove, raison, dates, plum, jelly and fig but the aftertaste has a slight fruity sourness to it which is delightful. Atypical for the style but an astonishing beer nonetheless. If you like Gulden Draak this is definitely worthy. If you don't like Gulden Draak then you must not like Belgian beers and are henceforth unworthy. (957 characters)

Enjoyed from the big bomber, this FANTASTIC Belgian quad pours a peachy red with a succulent white head of thick foam that dissipates to a thin layer with GREAT lacing. Nose of sweet fruits of peach, pear, sweet Belgian candy sugars, and yeasty goodness. Taste is exceptional with a peach like quality to the middle and sides blending with Belgian candy sugars, crisp apple to the back, and bready yeast flavors rounding it all into a symposium of excellence. Very nicely carbonated mouth feel makes the slick flavors wash down quite nicely. A well rounded Belgian quad that is always a winner. As always an A plus from this fine Belgian brewery.